Effectiveness of Sertraline in Treating Pathological Gamblers With a Diagnosis of Alcohol Dependence - 1

Official Title ICMJE

A Pilot Study of Sertraline Plus Relapse Prevention Therapy (RP) for the Treatment of Pathological Gambling With Comorbid Abuse or Dependence

Brief Summary

Pathological gamblers often are also dependent on alcohol and clinically depressed. Sertraline (Zoloft) is currently used to treat depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The purpose of this trial is to determine the effectiveness of sertraline used in combination with relapse prevention therapy in decreasing gambling behavior and alcohol consumption in individuals with a diagnosis of pathological gambling and alcohol abuse or dependence.

Detailed Description

Alcohol abuse and depression commonly occur in conjunction with pathological gambling. Sertraline (Zoloft) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) currently used to treat depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The purpose of this trial is to determine the effectiveness of sertraline combined with relapse prevention therapy in decreasing gambling behavior and alcohol abuse.

Participants in this 10-week trial will be randomly assigned to receive either relapse prevention (RP) therapy and sertraline or RP therapy and a placebo. Participants will begin taking 25 mg of either sertraline or placebo in a single morning dose for one week. If, after one week, participants do not show improvement, the dose will increase to 50 mg per day during Week 2, and will increase by 50 mg per day every week thereafter to a maximal dose of 200 mg per day.

Weekly hour-long study visits will include a medication evaluation, RP therapy, and questionnaires. In addition, evaluations at baseline, Week 5, and Week 10 will include pathological gambling and depression ratings, urine drug screens, and biochemical measures of alcohol consumption and liver function. All other weekly study visits will include evaluation of side effects, an interview on alcohol use, measures related to obsessive-compulsive drinking, and assessments of vital signs and concomitant medications.

Patients will be started on 25mg/day of Sertraline, and their dose will be increased to 50 mg/day by week two, and then weekly by 50mg/day based on clinical response and emergence of side effects. The maximum dose will be 200mg/day

Behavioral: Relapse Prevention Therapy

Patients will have a weekly one-hour session for medication evaluation, relapse prevention therapy and answer questionnaires.

Study Arms

Placebo Comparator: 1

Patients will be treated with Relapse Prevention Therapy plus placebo

Intervention: Behavioral: Relapse Prevention Therapy

Active Comparator: 2

Patients will be treated with Relapse prevention Therapy plus Sertraline.

Interventions:

Drug: Sertraline

Behavioral: Relapse Prevention Therapy

Publications *

Not Provided

* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications
identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.

History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder

Current diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence, other than alcohol or nicotine

Current major depression

Currently suicidal

History of non-response to an adequate trial of sertraline, defined as 200 mg per day of sertraline for at least a 4-week period

Previous treatment with relapse prevention therapy for pathological gambling or alcohol dependence within the 3 months prior to study entry

Requires treatment with psychotropic medication

Unwilling to consent to a drug-free period, according to the following: 2 weeks of abstinence from antidepressant drugs, other than fluoxetine, buspirone, lithium, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, opiates, or benzodiazepines; 4 weeks of abstinence from clonazepam; 5 weeks of abstinence from fluoxetine